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Providing straightforward information pertaining to drugs, drug use & drug policy. The Grey Pages promotes drug-related literacy and advocates a system of viable and tolerant drug policies. This is my personal collection of commentaries, essays, tid-bits, and other such writings on everything ranging from drug use, drug policy and drug-myths, to drug-science, addiction, human behavior, and the workings of the human brain. I started this blog with a particular focus on opioids, and over the past year have found my interest gravitate toward the intriguing, ever-changing world of designer intoxicants (i.e. "research chemicals" or "designer drugs").

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Experiment: 2 Weeks Off Buprenorphine With High-Dose Loperamide

I've been maintained on high dose buprenorphine (16-24mg/day) for 30+ Months with short to medium length full agonist binges on occasion throughout that time. I'm currently steady at an average of 20mg buprenorphine daily and have been for the past 8 weeks or more. For the approximate 2 weeks of this experiment I will dose with 100 to 200mg of loperamide daily for the first 2-3 days, and then titrate my dose to desired effect, aiming for complete suppression of physical & psychological abstinence symptoms.

My expectation for this degree of efficacy with the drug is based on my last experience with loperamide; where I experienced a methadone-like effect for a period of 2 to 3 days with doses of 90 to 180mg taken the first two days. This effect came complete with a strong body buzz similar to morphine/methadone, a moderately high level of itching & pruritis, major miosis (pinpoint pupils) and a significant level of mood enhancement with increased energy and a numb-like sense of apathy which relieved a great deal of everyday stress.

I will begin the experiment within the next 48 hours, and update periodically depending on my ability to do so.

I'm aiming for this experience to answer a few basic questions:

Does loperamide alleviate all symptoms in high enough doses?

Does loperamide possess euphorigenic or antidepressive effects in high enough dose?

Will loperamide alleviate opioid craving in these massive quantities?

DAY 1:
I took a final dose of IV buprenorphine: 4mg, at 3pm yesterday.
Last night at 9pm I took a dose of 70mg loperamide along with 2oz Tonic Water (Contains Quinine) I realize 2oz of tonic water is hardly sufficient for any noticeable amount of quinine, but I can't stand the taste. I then went to sleep.

Woke up at 9am and dosing an additional 70mg. It's currently 12pm and the effects are appearent - the dull heat-like sensation started in my legs and abdomen and has spread throughout my arms, chest and neck. Slight itchiness is present but manageable.

Side effects include a very dry mouth and sinus cavity.

Pupils are moderately small and I have felt no withdrawal symptoms yet; though it has only been 21 hours since my last buprenorphine dose - I metabolize buprenorphine quite rapidly. I plan to dose an additional 60-70mg this evening - loperamide requires time to build up to a steady state with continuous dosing.Thanks my friends. I hope it will be of insight to anyone interested.

It's 3:30 pm, haven't had my evening dose yet, however the 70mg last night plus 70mg this morning has taken effect even more than it had at noon. I'm pretty itchy as of now, and my mood is stable. I'm more energetic than usual at the moment, especially for having run short on bupe over 24 hours ago.

Tonight and tomorrow will be the real teller; as well as the next week or two.

I can say as of now, I feel no discomfort or anxiety coming on, and I have the nice peripheral bodybuzz going.

As I continue to load my system, I'll see if it makes an impact psychologically. I'll update this evening.

EDIT: Also, if the withdrawal happens to become a problem, meaning the lope doesn't cut it, I'll most likely stop updating so often - just the psychological element of withdrawal takes away motivation for anything, including the computer.. I doubt that's gonna happen, however as long as I'm up and typing, I know I'm in a good state.
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13 comments:

I know you mean well however Loperamide is not very effective for most people. Even it did help quit posting anymore info on legal substance's. Anyone with half a brain can research on the internet and find things that can be quite effective. The DEA can read too! Would you like to buy illegal black market loperamide for $1 a tablet. Every time I read a forum about this or that get's you high it makes me angry. Stretch your fingers and expand your mind to find alternatives, but for heaven sakes to forumize every high a person finds for DE-All to read and outlaw! Thebaine T. Morpheus

Drug companies and the government know exactly what lope is and can do. They don't care, probably for myriad reasons, but most likely simply because it's not a cost-effective high it's extremely unhealthy and if you actually pay for enough to produce the desired effect you're just putting money in the pocket of drug companies. There's no risk of overdose and you barely get high. I've read about current detox using loperamide. Imodium itself is branching out into the detox Arena. Somewhat an informative post but you need to expand and inform as to the long-term effects. Also one important question perhaps the most important is whether or not taking loperamide extends withdrawal symptoms. I jumped at two milligrams Suboxone and day 16 I'm still needing loperamide. What's the average detox time for 2 milligram jump from Suboxone? Honestly who the fuck knows everyone is different. I assumed 10 days...dead wrong. If someone has experience please comment. And if someone is dumb enough to think that they're going to schedule loperamide just don't talk out loud or type anything. Basically keep your thoughts to yourself. They give the illusion of intelligence.

Thanks for reading, and I appreciate your concern for the continued availability of useful tools & remedies. However I must correct you; This entry focused on primarily the ability of loperamide to suppress opioid withdrawal, and also my blog comes from a self-medication & therapeutic standpoint rather than a youthful/"get high"/recreational standpoint - You can cut the paranoid act, really - Loperamide is not any sort of secret to the DEA and it was in fact moved from the CSA C-V to an OTC years ago; secondly, I know for a fact that the DEA and other Federal LE has much bigger priorities than policing the interweb for some "big secret" which they surely are not oblivious to. This is the type of attitude which frustrates me with many drug user, etc; the complete paranoia that speaking freely and networking information across the world-wide web is going to result in a major investigation based on an anecdotal message board story. Consumption of substances and withdrawal comfort meds are not any major news, OR concerns to the feds, especially when it concerns diarrhea medicine which they have already given up on regulating.

Hey there. I apologize for letting that slip away from me, it's because the whole experiment kind of slipped away from me.. Lope definitely works, but it's definitely no methadone, or buprenorphine for that matter.. The side effects were very intense - pruritis/itching mainly, stomach discomfort, etc.. Surely beats being sick, but I was so worn out at the time, and coming down with a flu in fact.. I jumped back to the subs earlier than I had anticipated.

Just wanted to chime in to tell my story real quick. I too was a pill addict who resorted to high-doses of loperamide to block the withdrawal effects and was taking about 64mg of loperamide every 12 hours to curb the withdrawals. The only way I was able to stop this vicious cycle was to transition over to Suboxone, which I did and I'm terribly glad that I did. I ended up having to have a pacemaker implanted because of the damage I did to my body while on the loperamide (including having my gall bladder removed) and decided one day that enough was enough. I went to the Suboxone doctor after taking a single lortab so that I would test positive, and from that point started out at a whopping 16mg of Suboxone. Those first few days I was high as a kite barely able to even get out of bed because I was so stoned but worked my way down to 4mg which is where I am now and all of my heart problems and stomach issues have disappeared. I feel like I'm going to be on the Suboxone for quite a while as I'm still struggling with the idea of wanting to take more painkillers but the Suboxone prevents me from getting high off of anything...including loperamide. I never told the doctor that I was taking the loperamide...I just stopped taking the stuff long enough to get my COWS store up to a 26 and then went to the Suboxone doctor and told him that I was addicted to hydrocodone as well as methadone (which is almost as long-acting as loperamide) and that's why he started me out at such a high dose. I am truly grateful for Suboxone as it has literally saved my life and gotten me on a track back to being a normal functional human being without any medical issues. While I can't condone lying to your Suboxone doctor (even though I did) I can stay that Suboxone can definitely help with your loperamide withdrawals and is a medication that you can use to easily titrate down to a point where you can eventually jump off the stuff altogether, which is my end goal. One day in the distant future I will be able to get off of all of the opiates and actually become drug free...but for right now I have to take it one day at a time. That's the only way I'll be able to get off all of the narcotics once and for good.

Anyone reading this, I don't see subs as a great alternative either, it's yet another crazy strong synth opiate that's very difficult to come off, even at microgram doses. Withdrawal stretches out for weeks. I thought it was a godsend when I started taking it, a few years later it was just another monkey to kick off my back.

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